Videos of this trip are located on YouTube. You might find the drive through Lombok interesting. Here is the link to our YouTube channel.
We finally made it to Asia. Indonesia is our first stop on our Asian trip from Lombok to Mumbai, India in May. We have been looking forward to this part of the Ultimate World Cruise since our trip in 2020 as canceled. With everything we have planned, it is looking to be an amazing trip!
Our day here in Lombok began in Mataram, the island’s capital, stopping first at Museum Hatiku. Before we could make it to the museum, we were pounced on by many locals selling jewelry, woodworking, t-shirts, etc. We felt like we were back in Mexico. They were relentless.
During our drive we saw up to a family of 4 on scooters that were 5 wide on a street and that was if they were riding beside other vehicles. No one had a helmet including the 1 year old baby or the 80 year old grandmother. Along the way we saw cows and sheep in the fields. Farming, which includes growing rice and milking cows is their number one industry. Tourism is second.
Stepping into this museum was like stepping back in time. Here, we learned about Lombok’s fascinating history, from the ancient Hindu kingdoms to the arrival of Islam. The Sasak artifacts, traditional textiles, and displays on daily life took us back in time. Of the 3.9 million people that live here, Islam is the dominant religion and only 5 percent are Hindu.
Next, we ventured to Pasar Semi Sesela, a once bustling market of fruits, vegetables, stalls of clothes, jewelry and trinkets for sale, is now a small set of stalls for a few clothes and jewelry. We asked why the enthusiasm is so low and were told the people just aren’t into tourism. It shows. The money is definitely needed here. I’m I purchased a few trinkets as we walked through. As we were leaving we watched a traditional fight between two warriors and really enjoyed the show. They have a basket out for tips. Some little kids were riding their bikes and some of the tourist gave several of them a $1 (USD) dollar bill. This angered the owner and he came out with a stick chasing after the kids. He felt they were taking away the potential money the performers should have been receiving.
During our drive we couldn’t help but notice how dilapidated the housing and especially the businesses were. The creeks were just disgusting with the amount of trash in them. The saddest part we saw was even though the creeks were so filthy, several people were out fishing. The sight was hard to see.
But, there are some areas where they are building more homes for people. Very small and looked like 4 condos side by side. The cost would be $200 per month for 20 years before they would own it. This cost is significant for the middle to lower class. They cannot afford a $48,000 home.
Silver jewelry in Indonesia is very popular. When we were here in 2020, we found a young girl in her home making earrings. She was taking over for her family. At the time, I didn’t want any jewelry but am kicking myself now for not purchasing any. The cost would have been around $10-$30 for pure silver. We stopped at a charming store called Mutiara, run by a local artisan who patiently explained the intricate techniques used to create these beautiful pieces. Most of the ones I saw though had cubic zirconias on them and appeared to be gaudy looking. Bali will have some that are much better if we choose to purchase any.
In the afternoon we drove around some rice fields. Lush green paddies were scattered about along with other stages of growth such as a lot of muddy water. We found the rice paddies here are nowhere near the beauty that are in Bali. However, they aren’t here for beauty but for a purpose. To feed their families.
“Bale Gunung Rata” and has one very small window. The purpose of the small window is to avoid the thief coming
into the house. It also avoids the Sasak girl going out without permission from the parent.
Our last stop was the Lingsar Kabupaten temple. This old and unique Hindu temple complex was very old. The temple was built in 1712. The details of the stone artwork were amazing.
Our day was educational and the weather was perfect. We enjoyed the history lesson on this trip around this one island among 18,000 islands in Indonesia. Of these, about 6,000 are inhabited. Tomorrow we will visit another island that we have been to before and absolutely love. Bali! We cant wait to see it again!
May God bless you always!
Chuck & Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 